Carrying On
by khgyifyf
Summary: Sasuke died during the chunnin exams because of Orochimaru's cursed seal. Now he comes back to the human world to be with Naruto instead of crossing over. Will he ever be able to if he lasts to long on earth?
1. Chapter 1

1.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, don't give up!" Naruto yelled as he tried to calm down Sasuke, who was screaming and yelling in pain because of the curse mark that Orochimaru put on him. "You will survive, You will!"

"Sasuke!" Sakura whined as tears began to free-fall from her emerald eyes.

The screaming stopped and Sasuke stopped fussing. A rasp breathing echoed through Naruto's ears before Sasuke's breathing completely stopped. Sakura screamed through her tears.

"Stupid Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he punched the ground near Sasuke's head. A small tear drop fell of his cheek and landed lightly on Sasuke's cheek sending it rolling down his cheek to the ground. "Wake-up!" He started shaking his shoulder roughly. "Wake the hell up! This is no time to be sleeping teme!"

Sakura looked at Naruto and started crying more. "Stop it!" She yelled at Naruto. "Stop it Naruto, he won't wake up…" Sakura stared at the ground as tear droplets hit the ground.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered before laying his head down on Sasuke's chest and letting only a few tears fall.

---

"He wasn't strong enough Orochimaru-sama…"

"I guess not…" Orochimaru said in a disappointed tone. "But, keep an eye on the blonde one, he has the nine tails sealed inside of him."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama…" With that the figures disappeared into the darkness.

---

_After the Chunnin exams and Orochimaru's attack_

_**Sasuke and the Thirds funeral**_

Rain pelted down on the weakened town. Many people wept over the loss of the Third Hokage, and of coarse the Uchiha prodigy and last survivor. Sakura and Ino seemed to weep the most and the loudest, although no one seemed to notice their screams of pain and anguish.

Naruto just stood there staring at the two pictures before him. Sadness crept up behind him. He felt tears prickle at the back of his eyes but held on strong. He just walked slowly until he got up to the two caskets. He clenched his teeth and set down the two white roses, one for each. He clasped his hands together and prayed.

'_Hey Gramps, hope your happy up there! Don't do anything to bad…'_

'_Sasuke…you stupid bastard…' _His tears began to fall. _'Why'd you have to go and get yourself killed. Stupid Bastard._' He began to sob uncontrollably, his body shook but he still stood there.

"Come on, Naruto." Iruka said taking the weeping boy back to his spot.

'_No!' _Naruto screamed in his mind. _'Stupid Gramps, Stupid Sasuke…why'd you have to go….Sasuke.' _Naruto chuckled through his tears. "You always did like to make a fool out of me…" He whispered.

Iruka looked down at Naruto with saddened eyes. "Naruto…"

---

Naruto slowly trudged home in the pouring rain.

"_You're going to catch a cold…dope." _Naruto stopped. For a moment he felt the rain stop and in front of him was a smirking Sasuke.

Naruto's eyes widened and he wiped around. Nothing was there but empty streets. "Ah! I'm losing it!" He yelled as he messed up his soaked hair. He opened his eyes, the only emotion they held was misery. "but I don't really mind…as long as I can hear his voice."

He could just picture it, Sasuke standing there with his usual making smirk and saying…_"How sentimental_, _ you care…"_

A vein popped out from his forehead. "God, you even have to make fun of me when your DEAD!" He ran the rest of the way home. He ran up the stairs, ran through the door and slammed it. He leaned against the door and sighed. His wet bangs covered his cerulean blue eyes and he slid down to the floor. His body began to shake. "God, why the hell…am I crying so much…" He wiped away a few tears that were beginning to form in his eyes. " It's not like I miss that bastard…Far from it…I-I'm glad to g-get rid of him…right?" He pulled his legs to his chest and began to sob into his legs.

---

"_You really are a dope" Sasuke stated dryly._

_Naruto stood up with his clenched fist and glared at Sasuke. " Well, you really are a bastard!"_

"_Naruto, Sasuke stop it already, geez." Sakura said shaking her head at the two boys antics. _

_Kakashi was smiling down from the tree branch he was reading his book on. "Calm down Sakura-chan, at least there happy."_

_Sakura sweat dropped. "That's happiness." She stated, pointing at the two boys were frowning and exchanging multiple insults._

"_To them I guess." Kakashi said before turning back to his book. _

_Sakura looked at them with a confused look. The two boys turned away from each other. Sasuke soundlessly and Naruto with a big "humph", but Sakura noticed they each had a small but noticeable smile spread across their lips. Sakura laughed . "They have one weird way of exchanging happiness." _

_Naruto looked at Sakura confused, he obviously didn't hear here. But right next to him, Sasuke just stood there smiling a small smile. _

'_This is my Happiness.' He thought. "Naruto is the one who brightened up my darkness that I was living in. Naruto is my sun." _

_---_

'_Naruto. Happiness. Sun. Life. Tears…My love.'_

" Sasuke…you stupid bastard…Why'd you have to go get yourself killed…Stupid bastard" Small weeping sounds echoed.

"Naruto…" Sasuke whispered. His eyelashes fluttered open but he was only confronted with darkness.

"Why'd you have to go…Sasuke?" Sasuke could feel small drops of water fall down on him slowly.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled. He began to run toward the sobs. "Naruto answer me say something!"

" It's not like I miss that bastard…Far from it…I-I'm glad to g-get rid of him…right?" Sasuke stopped in his tracks. He could feel the water pour down on him now. A small raindrop fell down and landed in his mouth. The salty taste hit his taste buds and he new right away they were tears.

"Naruto…" He whispered. "Don't cry."

"I'm not crying!" The sad voice boomed.

'Did he hear me?' Sasuke asked himself. "Naruto can you hear me?"

The sobbing noises continued. "Naruto!" Sasuke's eyes fell down to the nothingness below him. "So he can't hear me."

"I want you here Sasuke…" Naruto said through his tears. Sasuke looked in front of him, that's were he heard the voice coming from. "I want you hear with me…"

Sasuke began to run. "I want to be near you too."

"But, you can't, can you?" This saddened voice pained Sasuke with each word that it spoke.

"I can, Naruto. I can be near you!"

"You're dead. And it's all because I couldn't protect you."

"What the hell are you at talking about! Naruto!" Sasuke started to pant, he wasn't getting anywhere.

A small round picture appeared in front of him.

There in the picture Naruto sat next to his door in the complete darkness. The picture of Team 7 was in his hand and he was looking closely at Sasuke.

"It's not like it would have mattered. You hated me anyway…" Sasuke flinched a bit at those words.

"I didn't."

"Maybe you're glad to get rid of me too." Naruto sat up with the picture and looked at it as tears bristled at the back of his eyes again.

"Naruto…I would never…"

"Ah! I need to stop acting like such a baby! No more crying! No more…not over him…h-he isn't the one I should be crying over…" Naruto looked at the picture. "And yet…I can't stop these babyish tears. Maybe I depended on you more than I thought."

"Naruto, I want to be there with you. I never hated you, the exact opposite in fact… If only I could tell you this. If I could make your tears stop I would do it, If I could just comfort you. Naruto…I…I"

Sasuke felt a big wind. It was strong yet Sasuke just stood there. The darkness faded and was replaced by a small apartment. Next to the bed with a small picture frame in his hands was Naruto.

Sasuke looked at Naruto. "So, did you miss me dope?" He said in a cocky tone. He couldn't just come back form the dead and kiss him…that would freak him out.

Naruto looked up and his eyes widened. He whispered the only word he could conjure up. "Sasuke…"

---

_**So How did you like it! Please review and tell me I tried really, really hard on it! **_


	2. Chapter 2

_:Last Chapter:_

_The screaming stopped and Sasuke stopped fussing. A rasp breathing echoed through Naruto's ears before Sasuke's breathing completely stopped. Sakura screamed through her tears._

_---_

'_Sasuke…you stupid bastard…' His tears began to fall. 'Why'd you have to go and get yourself killed. Stupid Bastard.' He began to sob uncontrollably, his body shook but he still stood there._

_---_

'_This is my Happiness.' He thought. "Naruto is the one who brightened up my darkness that I was living in. Naruto is my sun." _

---

_Sasuke looked at Naruto. "So, did you miss me dope?" He said in a cocky tone. He couldn't just come back form the dead and kiss him…that would freak him out._

_Naruto looked up and his eyes widened. He whispered the only word he could conjure up. "Sasuke…"_

2.

"Sasuke…" Naruto said quietly. Tears were still silently falling down his face.

Sasuke's cocky smirk faltered and he stared down at Naruto.

"But…you're dead!" Naruto said jumping up. He started pacing around the room. "I am going crazy! First I was hearing things and now I'm seeing things!"

"Naruto…"

"No, go away…" He yelled and he jumped in his bed and hid under the covers. "You're not here, you are a figment of my messed up imagination!" He stopped shuffling under his blankets. "You're not real…" Naruto said with a voice full of pain and misery. "I'm just seeing things…"

"Naruto…"Sasuke muttered quietly. "I'm here…I'm right here…I'm not fake."

Naruto poked his blonde head out of the covers and stared at Sasuke with glazed over eyes. He gently took off the covers and got out of bed. Sasuke watched every little action wondering what the blonde could be doing.

Naruto looked at Sasuke and gave a small sad smile. He reached out a hand and touched Sasuke's cheek. Naruto's eyes lit up and he smiled slightly. "You are real."

A small tint of red entered Sasuke's cheek when he felt the smooth fingers trace over his face. He quickly flushed down his embarrassment and looked at Naruto with his usual stone cold eyes.

"Sasuke, you are real." Naruto said a bigger smile spread across his face. Before Sasuke knew it Naruto pounced on the ghostly boy. They fell to the floor with a crash.

"Naruto get off of me!" Sasuke yelled trying to pry the cuddling boy off of his midsection (Stomach region).

Naruto looked at Sasuke and gave his usual foxy grin. "No…" But that big smile turned into a sad smile. "Because, if I let go…I'm afraid you'll vanish or something. I don't want you to leave me…I don't want to be alone."

Sasuke stopped fussing and stared into Naruto's glassy cerulean eyes. A small blush spread across his cheeks once again.

_**Knock **_

_**Knock **_

_**Knock**_

"Ah, the door!" Naruto yelled as he quickly jumped up and rushed toward the living room.

Naruto opened it and was greeted with three faces.

"Sakura, Kakashi-sensai, Iruka-sensai, Why are you here?" He asked confused.

"To make sure you didn't kill yourself idiot." Sakura said, it was intended to be mean but the small cheerless smile that was spread across her face said otherwise.

"You were very depressed at the ceremony…We were just worried." Iruka said shyly while rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, what they said…" Kakashi said as he slipped his book into his vest.

"I'm fine now!" He said cheerfully. " 'Cause I saw Sasuke just a second ago."

Sasuke just sat on the bed and listened to the conversation intently. When his name was mention he flinched.

"Naruto…Sasuke's gone." Sakura said as new found tears sprung up. "You were there when he died…remember." She said wiping the stray tears away.

"Sakura-chan…I understand. "He said sadly. "But I really did just see him."

"Naruto…" Kakashi said sternly putting a hand on his shoulder. "Stop saying these things, your upsetting Sakura."

"But I really did-"

"No more, Naruto." Kakashi said close to shouting.

Naruto put his head down and said five almost inaudible words. "Okay, I'll see you later." And shut the door quietly on there faces.

Iruka gave a great sigh. "This really did a number on him. Two deaths. And they were each two of his precious people."

"Huh? Precious People?" Sakura said with confusion.

"To Naruto any of his friends are his precious people, he will protect them with his life. Even though he has a different was of showing he cares." Iruka said with a small laugh. "Naruto is like a son to me, so he tells me everything. One day when we went out o get a bowl of ramen he said something really un-Naruto like."

"_Hey Iruka-sensai?" Naruto said as he poked at the ramen noodles in front of him._

"_Yes what is it." Iruka said looking over._

_A small smile spread across his face. "Do you have any precious people?"_

"_Precious people?" He said setting his chopsticks down._

"_Yeah, you know, people who you would die for, and tell anything to. People that you know will be there for you when you need it. People who have a special place set up in your heart…Precious People." Naruto said as he swirled the noodles with a serious look on his face._

_Iruka smiled. "I have a couple…"_

"_Who?" Naruto said looking up and highly curious._

"_Well for one, all of the children in my class, and…you."_

"Naruto looked surprised when he heard me say you. A smile is what he showed me for gratitude of that. Not his smile that he shows to everyone else. But one of his smiles that actually mean something. Not a lot of people have seen it."

"How do you know that The Third, and Sasuke were two of his precious people." Sakura asked with divine curiosity.

Iruka gave a small laugh. "You know when he shows you his real self."

"Huh?" Sakura asked. Kakashi looked up from his book with curiosity.

"Naruto. Naruto is different from what you usually see. The Naruto who always plays pranks and is loud, that isn't the Naruto I know. That's his mask." Sakura looked confused and yet interested at that statement, Kakashi now put his book away and was paying full attention to Iruka. "Just like Naruto everyone has a mask. Whether they use it full time or only part of the time, or even once a week. They still have it. Naruto puts on his mask when he wants to be acknowledged by everyone. And that's were the pranks come in. Naruto isn't really that way, the Naruto I know is calm and thinks things through. H never shows his big fox grin when he takes off his mask and he rarely eats ramen. As a matter of fact I think the only reason he eats it is because it's cheap and he doesn't have a lot of money."

Sakura shook her head sadly. "That still didn't answer my question."

Iruka gave a small laugh and blushed slightly. "Oh yes how do I know…" He calmed down and took a deep breath. "It's because I've seen the way he acts around them. The third would always get agitated by him but in return Naruto would just give him a soft smile, as if saying 'Thanks for accepting me for who I am'. And Sasuke, well that's just a given."

Sakura looked ultra confused. "How is that a given."

Iruka gave a short chuckle. "I may be wrong but I think Naruto close to loves him…"

"What are you talking about?" Sakura and Kakashi asked.

Sakura looked at Kakashi. "I see you're finally in the conversation." Kakashi just smiled.

"It's quite logical. Naruto was always trying to surpass him and always trying to find his weakness. I think that was just a cover-up. Because when ever he complained about him during ramen hour, at the end he would always smile, even though he would try and hide it. He always tried to surpass Sasuke in hopes that Sasuke would finally pay attention to Naruto." Iruka said sadly. "Although, during the funeral, I think what was running through his head at the time was…'I guess now you'll never be able to see me the way I see you'. It's just a guess though."

"He did look really sad. More than everyone else." Sakura said in deep thought.

Kakashi nodded his head.

"Anyway let's go…it's getting dark." Iruka suggested and started walking.

Sakura and Kakashi nodded there heads and followed.

---

"Sasuke-teme!" Naruto yelled happily as he rushed into his bedroom. He wasn't there. "Sasuke…" He whispered. He looked utterly shocked. "Sasuke!" Naruto began to run around the room searching for his ghostly friend. "Sasuke, Sasuke…Sasuke!" Naruto ran out of his room and looked in every room imaginable! "SASUKE!" Naruto yelled once more as tears entered his eyes. He fell to his knees and put his face in his hands. His body shook violently. "I knew you would leave me…" He said as he curled up in a ball and quietly cried.

---

"Uh, where am I?" Sasuke said looking around. He was in a dark room like the one before he went to see Naruto.

A light shone down in front of the Uchiha.. Sasuke watched as a woman in a white robe slowly floated down before him.

"You are Sasuke Uchiha, correct?" He nodded. "I need to speak to you about your circumstances."

"What?" Sasuke asked coldly yet with a hint of confusion.

"I have been informed that you have visited the human world even after your death." She looked at him with emotionless eyes and a straight face. "You cannot stay there, you must cross over to the afterlife. Now come." She said reaching out a hand for him to take. After a few seconds without hi moving she grabbed his hand.

Sasuke shook his head and pulled back his hand sending her a heated glare. "I'm not leaving with you."

"You do not have a choice Uchiha-san. You must come with me." She said bluntly.

"I can't" She raised an eyebrow. "Not when I saw him again. He looked…so broken. When I saw him I got to see his face light up with happiness, his eyes regained there usual sparkle. He was the reason I wanted to live in the first place."

She watched him closely. His hands were clenching and unclenching and his eyes seemed empty. _'He seems so hollow without this 'boy' he's talking about. I cannot accept a hollow soul into my afterlife.' _She gave a light sigh. "You have 30 days."

Sasuke jerked his head up and stared at her in disbelief. "W-what?"

"30 days. You can stay with your human boy for the next 30 days. But if your not back here by the 32 day. I will be forced to exterminate you completely." She saw the confused look on the young Uchiha's face. "If you refuse to come to the afterlife when your time is up, I will no longer permit you into the afterlife. Therefore you will become nothing your ghost will simply vanish."

Sasuke nodded.

"Uchiha-san. I will inform you on some other things now."

---

Naruto sat in the darkness staring at the wall. A quiet ticking from the clock echoed throughout the small apartment. Naruto had no more tears to shed. He cried so much he was sick. "I'm all alone." Naruto whispered in a dead tone. His voice was empty, it held no emotion. His face was blank and his eyes were glazed.

Sasuke appeared silently behind the blonde. He watched him sit there and wallow sadly. "Naruto." Sasuke said softly.

Naruto turned his head and looked at Sasuke. "I hate you." He whispered.

Sasuke looked shocked. "W-why?"

"Where did you go?" Naruto said new tears prickling at his eyes. Apparently he had more tears to shed after all.

Sasuke just stood there. How was he suppose to answer that. He barely even knew.

Before Sasuke even realized it Naruto hooked himself to Sasuke and cried in his shirt. "Don't leave me again. Please just stay with me forever." He tightened his grip and sobbed.

Sasuke looked at Naruto and gave a small smile. He stroked his blonde tresses and returned the hug. Except Sasuke found himself wishing that Naruto wasn't hugging him because he was afraid to lose his friend again. He wanted Naruto to hug him from love. _'I will Naruto, no matter what, Stay with you forever.' _

---

_**How did you guys like he second chapter. It sucked right? I know, but its four in the morning and I am ultra tired…yet I can't get to bed. Isn't that stupid! Well tootles please review and tell me how bad I did!**_


End file.
